Robert Constantino faces up to a year in jail for painting this anti-stop-and-frisk message on the gates of City Hall.Photo: Gabriella Bass

A lawyer who is a former Boston prosecutor was convicted in Manhattan today on criminal mischief, making graffiti and possession of graffiti instruments for spray painting “NYPD GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME” in red, stenciled letters on four pillars around City Hall in May.

Robert Constantino, 34, had tried his hardest to be caught red-handed. The lawyer and downtown think-tank activist had posted photos of his handiwork online on his blog, justifying the graffiti as a protest of police stop-and-frisk policies.

Prosecutors showed a Manhattan Criminal Court jury surveillance video capturing Constantino in mid-spritz, and the activist also took the witness stand and admitted he’d done it, claiming that he didn’t intend to damage the property. Constantino’s sentencing is set for Nov. 29. He faces anything from zero to one year jail.